SEGUIN, Texas – The No. 15 Emory & Henry College Softball Team (28-7) kept itself in the ranks of the unbeaten in the 2021 NCAA Division III Seguin Regional with a 5-1 victory over fourth-seeded Emmanuel (Mass.) College (21-5) Saturday afternoon
The victory marks the first time in program history that the Wasps have won multiple games in the NCAA postseason.
The Basics
GAME SIX – #2 (No. 15) Emory & Henry 5, #4 Emmanuel (Mass.) 1
LOCATION – Seguin, Texas
VENUE – Kruse Stadium - Morck Softball Field
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (28-7, 13-3 ODAC); Emmanuel (Mass.) (21-5, 9-1 GNAC)
Game Six – #2 (No. 15) Emory & Henry 5, #4 Emmanuel (Mass) 1
After two scoreless innings to start the game, Emory & Henry got on the board in the top of the third. Junior left fielder Nicole Cox (Cedar Falls, N.C.) reached on a bunt single and got herself in scoring position with a stolen base. Senior first baseman Kendall Varner (Bassett, Va.) drove her home with a single up the middle for the 1-0 score.
The Wasps got runners on second and third with one out in the fourth inning but were unable to add to their 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the frame, the Saints equalized on a single to centerfield by Maegan Amsler, plating Olivia Conti.
E&H bounced back in the fifth to go up 2-1 when senior pitcher Alex Braun (Lexington, S.C.) hit a double down the right field line to drive in junior centerfielder Anna Thomas (Climax, N.C.). It was Braun's 21st two-bagger of the year, tying the school record.
A leadoff double by senior shortstop Kyndall Hiatt (Ararat, Va.) in the sixth led to another run as sophomore right fielder Emily Scaggs (Riner, Va.) scored Hiatt with an infield single. The Wasps got runners on second and third with two outs by Cox's flare to the gap in right-center was just within the reach of the Saints' right fielder.
In the seventh, the E&H added two insurance runs to go up 5-1. Braun tripled to right-center, plating Varner while senior third baseman Allyson Steadman (Kingsport, Tenn.) drove in freshman pinch runner Amy Meister (Mooresville, N.C.). EC got a pair of runners aboard with one out in the bottom of the inning but the Wasps shut the door to seal the victory.
Braun earned her 14th complete-game win of the year, allowing one run on four hits with 11 strikeouts and no walks. She helped her own cause at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI. Hiatt also had a pair of base knocks in the contest as she also scored a run.
Amsler led the Saints with her bat, driving in a run on two hits. In the circle, Megan Long struck out four in the first four innings of the contest, allowing one run on five hits. Tianna Dawe suffered the loss in relief, as four runs scored on five hits and two walks under her watch.
Up Next
Emory & Henry advances to face top-seeded and T-No. 2 nationally-ranked Texas Lutheran University Saturday night in a matchup between a pair of 2-0 teams. First pitch between the Wasps and Bulldogs is scheduled for approximately 8:30 p.m. CDT (9:30 p.m. Eastern).